BBC AMERICA has announced the channel’s first
original drama, COPPER, set in 1860s New York City, will premiere Sunday,
August 19, 9:00pm ET/PT.

Tanya Fischer (The Defenders, Life on Mars)
joins the cast of COPPER as Molly Stuart, an ambitious courtesan at
Eva’s Paradise. The 10-part dramacenters on Kevin Corcoran (Tom
Weston-Jones, MI-5), an intense, rugged Irish-American cop working
the city’s notorious Five Points neighborhood. Corcoran is struggling to maintain his moral compass in a
turbulent world, while on an emotional and relentless quest to learn the truth
about the disappearance of his wife and the death of his daughter. His
friendship with two Civil War compatriots – the wayward son of a wealthy
industrialist and an African American physician who secretly assists Corcoran
with his detective work – takes him to the contrasting worlds of elegant Fifth
Avenue and an emerging African-American community in rural northern Manhattan.
The three men share a secret from their experience on the battlefield that
inextricably links their lives forever.

The series is created by Emmy®-winner Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide:
Life on the Streets, St. Elsewhere) and Academy Award®-nominee Will
Rokos (Monster’s Ball, Southland) and among the executive
producers are Academy Award®-winner Barry Levinson (Good Morning
Vietnam, Rain Man, You Don’t Know Jack), Cineflix Media
Co-CEO Glen Salzman, Cineflix Studios President Christina Wayne (Broken
Trail and executive in charge of Mad Men), Fontana and Rokos.

The previously announced cast includes Franka Potente (The
Bourne Supremacy, Run Lola Run) as Eva Heissen, a shrewd businesswoman and
the madam of Eva’s Paradise; Kyle Schmid (Blood Ties, The Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants)as Robert Morehouse, a handsome bon vivant
and part of Manhattan aristocracy; Anastasia Griffith (Royal Pains,
Damages) as the sophisticated and spirited Elizabeth Haverford; Ato
Essandoh (Damages)as Doctor Matthew Freeman, who secretly
assists Corcoran with his work; Kevin Ryan (Tripping Tommy) as
Detective Francis Maguire, Corcoran’s closet friend and partner in the 6th
Precinct; Dylan Taylor (Covert Affairs) as Andrew O’Brien,
colleague and companion to Corcoran and Maguire; Ron White (The Line)
as Captain Ciaran Joseph Sullivan, who is more often concerned about his
reputation than seeking justice for victims; Kiara Glasco (Angel Duty)
as Annie Reilly, a young runaway forced to grow up too quickly; Tessa
Thompson (Heroes) as Sara Freeman, the fearful and anxious wife of
Dr. Freeman; and David W. Keeley (Rookie Blue) as Sergeant
Padraic Byrnes, a corrupt and contemptuous cop.

BBC AMERICA delivers US audiences high-quality, innovative and
intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for
talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais,
Gordon Ramsay, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including
ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated
science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial
arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major
awards including an Emmy®, five Golden Globes® and ten Peabody Awards. The channel
attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available
on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 77 million homes. It broadcasts
in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across
all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture
with a British twist. Find out more by visiting www.press.bbcamerica.com or follow us on www.twitter.com/bbcamerica.